Refrigerating device



Jan. 1, 1935- L. c. SMITH REFRIGERATING DEVICE 2 .Illlh Filed Aug. so, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w n iii- FIG. 2.

Jan. 1, 1935. Q sMlTH REFRIGERATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 30, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (It tomeg in the formation of a c UNITED This invention relates to refrige'ration devices.

STATE s PATENT OFFICE REFBIGERATING DEVICE Lawrence G. Smith, Kenmore, N. Y. Application August so, 1933, Serial No. 687,116

6 Claims.

for use in the cooling orfreezing of beverages orfoods.

The invention will be found to reside generally ooling unit by an assembly of simple and inexpensive structures to provide a plurality of compartments orv cells therein, proportioned to receive articles to be cooled. The invention, in one embodiment,

chilling device with special'provision therein as to thermal efllciency in the cooling is devised as a bottle of the bottles and the maintenance of uniform temperatures in the air surrounding the device. In another embodiment, the invention is directed to the formation .of a domestic evaporator,

a similar structure with housings are formed by wherein ice" tray the addition of specially formed'shelf and wall arrangement.-

Other features specifically set forth flcation and Fig. 1 is a front elevation of 7 unit with the cabinet for shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a section on the of the invention are more in the accompanying specidrawings, wherein:

a bottle cooling receiving the same line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a domestic refrigerator' conta in accordance ing an evaporator constructed with the invention;

the evaporator of Fig. 3, with the cabinet shown in dotted lines.

In accordance with Figs.

tion is incorporated in a 1 and 2, the'invendevice for cooling bottles or-containers, and it comprises a fabricated-coolcabinet of rectilinear shape,

with a door 12 which which is enclosed 11. The cabinet is provides access to formed of a plurality of spaced vertical partition members 13, formed with rows of regularly spaced apertured flanges 14 through which tubes-15 are pressed and soldered to provide a cell-like structure. The

protruding ends 16 of each vertical row of tubes are connected by vertical U-flttings 1'7 to connect the tubes ineach row in series, and the free ends of each rowof tubes are connected by horizontal U-ilttings 18 to provide a continuous pas-,-

sage through all the tubes.

a The upper terminal 19 of may be connected to a pipe 21 which the tubing System protrudes through the cabinet for connection to a suitable supply" conduit of a shown), while the lower nectedmunication with the suction refrigeration system. (not terminal 22 may to a similarly disposed pipe 23 for combe con-- side of the refrigeration system. The refrigeration system may be of any type known in the art, and its supply function through the pipe 21 may be controlled by a thermostatic expansion valve or similar device, which, in turn, is made responsive to tem-' perature conditions in the cabinet through the usual expansion bulb 25.- a

The spacing of the partition members 13 is such that, in cooperation with the tubes 15, square pockets or, cells 26 are formed which are 10 of suitable proportions to receive bottles 2'7, with slight clearance between the bottles and the adjacent walls of the cells. It is preferred that the cabinet be mounted to permit the bottles to be disposed horizontally, so that theywill rest on 15 the tubes 15 to provide direct thermal contact therewith. This arrangement permits the bottles to. rest on the grid-like tube shelves through which the water of condensation may;gravitationally escape to the I for disposal through a drain 29, provided therein. The vertical partition members 13 cooperate to impart thermal efliciency to the unit by providing for uniformity of temperature therethrough. As the tubes 13 are vertically disposed and of a considerable effective surface area, they are engazed by the downwardly moving air streams to effect a thorough heat exchange action. with the-cells filled with bottles, this general downward air movement is partially blocked, but not com- 30 d In Figs. 3 and 4 a second embodiment of the in- 'ventio'n is shown, and it comprises a cooling unit 33 formed as a domestic evaporator, mounted in a refrigerator cabinet 34. The general structure of this unit will be found to be similar to the structure of the described embodiment, vertical parti-. tion members 35 being devised for the reception of horizontal rows of tubes 35, which are connected by vertical and horizontal U-flttings 3'7 and 38 to form a refrigerant circuit. The cells 39 thus formed are, in this case, devised to lated from each other and from the ambient air in the cabinet to obtain the low'temperatures necessary in the forming of ice.

Y Cover members 41 are provided to enclose the 91 a d rear walls of the cells 39,'and they combottom 28 of the cabinet 20 n beisoi prise sheet metal structures each having a shelf portion 42 terminating at one extremity in a reverse flange 43, and at thejopposite extremity in 2:. depending rear wall portion 44. These members are easily assembled with the unit by hooking the flange portions around the foremost tubes and then swinging the rear wall portions 44 over the rear tubes to bring the shelf portions into engagement with the horizontal tube rows. The assembled structure may then be soldered at desired points to provide a rigid assembly.

Each cell 39 is proportioned to receive a container or ice tray 46, the tray front 4'7. of which is referably devised to engage the flanges 43 to provide a closure for the front of its cell. Otherwise the trays 46 may be of conventional design.

The evaporator thus formed will be found to form ice in short periods of time, due to the fact that each tray shelf is adequately refrigerated. The outside portions of the device, including the loops, perform the usual function of cooling the ,air in the cabinet, and their effective aggregate surface area may be varied according to require-' ments by lengthening the protruding portions of the partitions 35 to provide exterior flns.

It is intended that the two embodiments of the invention'heretofore described be considered as exemplary of the invention, which may be modified or applied otherwise in the art within the scope of the following claims:

I claim:

1. A cooling device comprising a cabinet having a vertical wall formed with an enlarged opening, a closure therefor, a cooling said cabinet comprising a plurality of vertically disposed spaced partition members, said members being formed with a plurality of rows of aligned apertures, a plurality of tubes each extending horizontally through the partition members in the aligned apertures thereof and secured thereto to form therewith a plurality of horizontal cells, and

4 means connecting the tubes to form a continuous refrigerantpassage, said cells being each adapted to receive a container inserted therein through the opening in the cabinet, said cabinet having a rear wall spaced from said unit and forming a stop member for the containers inserted in the cells.

2. A cooling device comprising a plurality of vertically disposed spaced partition members, said members being each similarly formed with a plurality of rows of apertures, a plurality of tubes each extending horizontally through the partition members through the aligned apertures thereof and secured thereto to form therewith a plurality of horizontal cells, said cells being proportioned to receive containers therein in intimate thermal relation, and means connecting the tubes to form a continuous refrigerant passage.

unit mounted withinapertures of the 3. A cooling device comprising a plurality of vertically disposed spaced partition members, said members being each similarly formed with a plurality of rows of spaced apertures, a plurality of tubes each extending horizontally through the partition members through the aligned apertures through the partition members through the aligned apertures therein and secured thereto to form therewith a plurality of open horizontal cells, means for covering the top and rear walls of each cell comprising an integral sheet metal member having a shelf portion covering the horizontal row of tubes in each cell, said shelf portion having an inturned flange at its front margin engaging around the foremost tube and 2. depending wall member at its rear margin extending. downward to close the rear of the cell, and means connecting the tubes to form a continuous refrigerant passage. 1

5. A cooling device comprising a plurality of vertically disposed partition members, said members being each formed with a plurality of rows of spaced apertures, a plurality of tubes each extending horizontally through the aligned partition members and secured thereto to form therewith a plurality of horizontal container receiving cells, and pipe loops exterior of the outer partition members for connecting the tubes to form a continuous refrigerant circuit, said loops cooperating to cool the air exterior of the device.

6. A cooling device comprising a plurality of vertically disposed partition members, said members being each formed with a plurality of rows of spaced apertures, a plurality of tubes each extending horizontally through the aligned apertures of the partition members and secured thereto to form container receiving cells, the tubes to form a continuous refrigerant passage, said partition members projecting from the outermost cells to form fln members to cool the air exterior of the device.

LAWRENCE- 0. SMITH.

and secured thereto to form therewith 

